Kick Ass 2

Still a fun ride, but the sequel lacks the energy and originality of the first. Hit Girl isn’t quite as interesting.

This one suffers more than the Hunger Games in how it decries our culture of violence by using violence. Yes the theme of this picture is that violence has consequences that fail to justify its use, fine, but the real message is: wow, Hit Girl and Mother Russia can do some truly awesome, wicked stuff. I didn’t walk out of this one thinking violence was bad. I walked out thinking no one should ever mess with Mindy McCready again. Mindy took out Mother Russia, and Mother Russia took out ten cops all by herself. Holy bananas Mindy is awesome.

I did not like the Sick Stick. At all. The item feels entirely unbelievable and its effects offered little other than a gross culmination to Mindy’s flirtation with popularity.

I think it was wise to make Mindy the true protagonist and Dave the supporting player. Mindy is the more interesting character, and Chloe Grace Moretz is a better actor than Aaron Johnson.

Jim Carrey is fantastic in this picture. I was never certain if Colonel Stars and Stripes was a superhero or a super villain, largely, I think, because Carrey makes him intimidating and charismatic at the same time.

That Hit Girl retires for a time allows Kick Ass a chance to grow without walking in her shadow. It also gave Mindy a chance to grow as a person, not just a walking can of beat downs. It was, therefore, a smart decision, even if I question some of the execution in Mindy’s story. And I do. Much of this film feels like Mean Girls. Or a prelude to Chloe Grace Moretz’s upcoming turn as Carrie. Which is fine, I guess, until the Sick Stick.

All in all, this is fun. But it doesn’t have much else going for it. And the gore and violence go way over the top for a film that wants to argue violence is rife with consequence.